Day three brought home the reality of the great migration in a place like the Serengeti. The great migration is mostly wildebeest (two million) with thousands of zebra, impala, and other antelopes caught up in it too. Of that 2 to 2 1/2 million animals, anywhere from 100,000 to 250,000 die during the trip: some are killed by predators, some are drowned in crowded river crossings, some are killed in stampedes, some are old and this is their last migration. Along the way lions, leopards, crocodiles, and hyenas wait for their share of this “moveable feast.”

Serengeti Day Three

Like many tourists (I’m guessing) I feel bad when I see the carcasses of wildebeests on the landscape, especially youngsters. On the other hand, I certainly want the big cats - the lion cubs and the cheetahs - to get the food they need to thrive. And I guess I want the scavengers vultures and the crocodiles to keep the system clean.